242969 Gnr. John Thomas Arrowsmith British Army Royal Artillery from:Rotherham, Yorkshire My Father, John Arrowsmith was captured at Tobruck defending the airstrip outside the perimeter. He claimed to have heard these words from Rommel's lips "Gentlemen for you ze war is over". He was handed over to the Italians who were running the campaign and was taken to a camp possibly near Milan where he stayed until the Italians capitulated. Given the option of walking out of the camp or staying he chose the latter. My father says that a man from our village, George Gail chose to walk and was interned in neutral Switzerland to the war end. My father claims he arrived home in our village before George having been interned in Stalag 398 at Pupping where he worked in a lumber camp and unlike in Italy was treated very well receiving red cross parcels etc which they never got in Italy. He was liberated by the Americans and flew home in the belly of a flying fortress. I asked my father if he had a pleasant time being allowed back at curfew what were the Frauleins like and he just smiled.
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